Comparison of Movement Performance on Pinnacle Trainer vs Stepper Trainer

Abstract

SportsArt Fitness state-of-the-art pinnacle trainer combined upward/downward forward/backward and medial/lateral motions to provide training of both large and small muscle groups in order to improve core stability and balance The stair stepper is an aerobic machine with pedals that move up and down in a stair-climbing fashion The pinnacle and stepper trainer provided closed kinetic chain exercises but with different movement patterns It is interesting to investigate the muscle activities and biomechanical behavior of lower extremity during stepping while using the pinnacle trainer with a three-plane pedal motions and stepper trainer with sagittal plane pedal motoin respectively In particular the understanding of biomechanical and electromyography performance during stepping will provide an important baseline for exercise prescriptions for normal use and rehabilitation using both trainers Thus the purpose of this study was to compare the differences in biomechanical behavior and electromyography during stepping between pinnacle and stepper trainers This study recruited 23 healthy male participants excluded from musculoskeletal cardiovascular or any other diseases which would influence the stepping movement This study used the Pinnacle Trainer PT; S770 SportsArt Fitness Tainan Taiwan and Stepper Trainer ST; S7100 SportsArt Fitness Tainan Taiwan to measure the biomechanical behavior and electromyography during stepping Also the motion capture system was used to record the three-dimensional trajectories of the machines and human body landmarks Participants stepped at the consistent cadence 60 steps per min with foot remained in contact on the pedals as flat as possible during stepping The motion and electromyography data were collected for 5 trials and 15 seconds per trial The results showed that ankle dorsiflexion proceeded through whole stepping cycle for both PT and ST Because of the three planes of pedal motions in PT it had significant greater hip flexion/extension knee adduction/abduction knee lateral shear forces and vertical and mediolateral displacements of center of mass during stepping phase than ST Participants had different performance in joint moment in the two trainers Participants in ST condition had significant greater ankle dorsiflexor knee extensor and abductor moments during the stepping phase For muscle activation participants in PT condition had co-contraction of gluteus medius (GM) and adductor magnus (ADD) during the stepping phase; the ST had significant greater gastrocnemius medial head (GAS) activation during the stepping phase Participants in ST conditions had greater co-contraction of hamstring and quadriceps during the step cycle Moreover participants in PT and ST conditions had displacements of center of mass while stepping According to these step characteristics PT and ST might be used for the rehabilitation exercise for improving stability of knee joint and impaired balance according to specific needs

Date of Award	2014 Aug 25
Original language	English
Supervisor	Fong-chin Su (Supervisor)